Poultry lighting

The poultry sector consists of two chains; the laying chain and the meat chain. Laying hens, layer breeders and rearing birds belong to the laying chain. Broilers, breeding and rearing of broiler parent stock belong to the meat chain. Each category, or application, of animals has a distinctive role in the chain, therefore each category has its own particular needs. These specific needs demand specific poultry equipment and specific management.

Stable lighting

Lighting is an important aspect of animal housing equipment; light influences poultry behaviour. It can increase activity, lower activity, minimise the risk of undesirable behaviour and optimise animal performance. But not every lamp is suitable for every animal category and for every form of housing.

Each animal category has different needs. The required light intensity and light spectrum are two important aspects of house lighting. Both of these must fulfil the specific needs of different categories of poultry.

Housing

The different kinds of housing mean that it is impossible to use one type of lamp for each animal category. Building with high or low ceilings, different systems and the influence of daylight mean that each type of housing poses specific demands for lighting in animal housing.